Ray and Sandy Gauvin join Gauvin Scholars at the fifth annual Night with the Stars at the University of Presque Isle’s Campus Center. The event celebrates the success of the students in the Aroostook Aspirations Initiative while honoring individuals and businesses for their support of the scholarship program. Photo Terry Sandusky, courtesy Aroostook Aspirations Initiative

Ray and Sandy Gauvin are committed to helping Aroostook students gain an education and stay – and prosper – in Maine

Aroostook County has the second highest county out-migration rate and the second lowest degree attainment in Maine. But it also has the second highest number of first-generation college students in the state.

Ray and Sandy Gauvin of Mapleton share these statistics to explain why they established Aroostook Aspirations Initiative in 2013: to help county students not only gain an education but also remain in Maine. And in the short time the scholarship program has been up and running, they’ve seen success: the first cohort of AAI students had a 91% college graduation rate and 85% plan to stay in Aroostook County.

What accounts for this remarkable achievement? The Gauvins point to mentoring as the “most crucial component” of their program. Their scholars agree: Mariah Hebert of Madawaska praises the “mentoring, internships and networking opportunities” she received along with financial support. “The Gauvins have been essential in giving kids like me the opportunity to live and work in the place that we call home,” the 2014 Gauvin Scholar says. Hebert received her Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree in May 2018 from the University of Maine at Fort Kent and currently works as a labor and delivery nurse at Cary Medical Center in Caribou.

Likewise Rachel Driscoll from Washburn, a 2017 Gauvin Scholar, credits AAI with giving her the tools to be successful, “not only in college, but in the workforce and beyond.” The program also has inspired her to set higher goals: She’s studying accounting and business administration at Northern Maine Community College and plans to attend Husson University in Presque Isle to complete a bachelor’s degree in accounting and from there pursue a master’s of accountancy.

Ray Gauvin traces the idea to support Aroostook students to his early life. When his father passed away, he was just starting high school and worked to help support his family. Thankfully, he had mentors who encouraged him to complete high school and then college. He also received a prestigious scholarship to attend the University of Southern Maine, where he earned a degree in accounting. He met the people who awarded the scholarship and they urged him to one day give his own scholarships “when” – not “if” – he was successful.

An entrepreneur by nature, Gauvin became a franchisee for Advanced Payroll Services and grew it into the largest payroll processing company in Maine. When he sold the company in 2010, he and Sandy set out to give back to their community and county. They both believed that education was “the great equalizer.”

A graduate of the University of Maine, with a master’s in education from the University of New England, Sandy, who is the president of the AAI, was the perfect partner for the new enterprise: she devoted 25 years to teaching in SAD #20 and SAD #1 and worked with first-generation college and economically disadvantaged students throughout her career. She also served on the boards and committees of several nonprofits, including MaineCF’s Aroostook County Committee.

The Gauvins knew they couldn’t achieve their goals alone. The four county colleges, 16 school districts, regional hospitals, and individual donors, sponsors, and volunteers have been crucial partners. The program benefits from the support of Northern Maine Community College, University of Maine at Fort Kent, and Husson University. The University of Maine at Presque Isle provides office space and will administer AAI’s Scholar Success, community service and internship programs.

The Gauvins have enjoyed a 20-year working relationship with MaineCF, first through a scholarship fund and more recently through the Aroostook Aspirations Initiative. “MaineCF helped us create a sustainable scholarship program,” Sandy says, and, equally important, “mobilize the future prosperity of the county.”